By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
For the third consecutive year, the San Perlita Lady Trojans found themselves in the regional quarterfinal round of the Class 1A playoffs.
A big part of that consistent success was outside hitter Aliyah Garcia. The four-year starter grew into an every-rotation player and the backbone of the team. During her senior season, Garcia was the team’s leading hitter and blocker, and averaged a whopping 11 aces per match.
For her contributions to another strong Lady Trojans season in 2021 and stellar all-around play, Garcia is the Valley Morning Star’s All-Star volleyball most valuable player.
“I didn’t believe it (when I heard),” Garcia said. “I was super surprised. There’s so many other girls that could’ve gotten this award, and I’m just so thankful. I always try to work hard and to do my best, so I was like, wow.”
Garcia was a natural when it came to hitting and blocking, but she worked particularly hard to improve her back-row defense, and that effort was on full display this season. Despite the height that helped her prowess at the net, Garcia dived for digs and delivered precise passes to set up the offense. San Perlita coach Criselda Rubalcaba said “her back-row skills match her front-row skills, digging and receiving with ease.”
Other areas of growth throughout Garcia’s career were her maturity and leadership. She went from being an easily frustrated freshman to a composed, encouraging senior, and she made her teammates better along the way.
“I didn’t want to bring anybody down,” Garcia said. “The biggest thing was working together and encouraging each other no matter what happened, and I think I grew in that aspect of the game.
“I wanted to do well for them. No matter what happened, I just wanted to encourage them and let them know they were doing enough because we were all working hard.”
Being from a small school means Garcia’s success is everyone’s success, and she wants her younger teammates and the incoming Lady Trojans to know anything is possible with the support of their town.
“I hope that it motivates the younger girls to keep working hard and to try to be better,” Garcia said. “Everybody knows each other here, it’s like a big family, and I’m glad people got to see what we could do. I hope that later on, the younger girls leave their own legacy for our community.
“My parents are super encouraging and my coach, Coach Rubalcaba, she’s always been there. She’s always encouraged us to do well,” she added. “All of my community, all my friends, everybody, I thank them for their support.”
Offensive Player of the Year
Juli Bryant
Junior, Harlingen High
The Harlingen High Lady Cardinals had a remarkable 2021 season, and one of the big keys to their success was the power-hitting Bryant.
For the second consecutive year, Bryant is the All-STAR offensive player of the year. The junior outside hitter recorded an outstanding 598 kills this season and was strong at the service line as she helped the Lady Cards win their first District 32-6A championship in 15 years.
“It feels great. It took a lot of time to get where I’m at right now, and I wouldn’t have done it without (Lady Cardinals coach Joslynn Torres) and my coaches from Venom (my club team),” Bryant said. “I think everyone can tell I’ve grown a lot from my freshman year, mentally and physically. My game got stronger, and I wasn’t as hard on myself.”
Bryant’s growth and improvement helped her cross a big goal off her list when she captured career kill No. 1,000 during a match against Los Fresnos on Oct. 19.
“It was my goal to get it as a senior. I’m so glad I got to reach it as a junior,” Bryant said. “It was amazing, especially to have this team help me accomplish that. I wouldn’t have wanted any other team to help me reach this goal. If I didn’t have this team, I probably wouldn’t have reached it.”
Teams often used a double-block or shadowed Bryant defensively, and even picked on her in serve-receive to try and contain her attack. But Bryant stayed composed and intelligently mixed up her speeds and locations more often this season, finding ways to be successful.
She credited the endless film study and intense practices her coaches initiated for getting her ready to battle opposing defenses and still shine. Bryant has 1,090 career kills and is ready to keep that count rising next season.
“I jump really high, so when I get set and I’m in the air, I can tell whether I should hit cross, hit line, tip in a certain area, shoot,” Bryant said. “I can see over the defense and I knew just where to place it. … It took a lot of time and a lot of hard work in practice.
“Thank you to my family, to the coaches, my teammates, to the fans, to my friends for being there to support me and push me through this journey,” she added. “I can’t wait to see what happens next year.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Elena Aguinaga
Senior, Harlingen High
For the second consecutive season, Harlingen High’s senior libero has been named the All-Star defensive player of the year.
Aguinaga has showcased elite defensive abilities throughout her Lady Cardinals career. There’s not a flashy save she hasn’t completed, and her passing precision allows the offense to run smoothly. Aguinaga recorded 486 digs this season and was dynamic at the service line, resulting in a District 32-6A libero of the year nod to add to her impressive resume.
“It’s another moment in my career that I really appreciate. All my hard work paid off,” Aguinaga said. “Ever since I started, I try to keep getting better and better. So the chance to receive this award again means that if I keep working hard, it’ll show.”
Aguinaga’s hustle and willingness to sacrifice her body for a pancake dig or to chase a rogue pass drew appreciation. Lady Cardinals coach Joslynn Torres calls her the “hardest worker we have on the court.” But Aguinaga believes her constant communication is her biggest asset. She can read the game at a high level, and she uses her knowledge to make her team better.
“I always get compliments on (my communication) and it’s great when people are, like, ‘She’s so talkative, she knows how to play, she knows her game,’” Aguinaga said. “(Libero is) an important role for the team. I’ve always taken pride in my team, I love my team and I always wanted to do everything I could, especially sharing some of the knowledge I have about volleyball.”
Opponents often tried to serve or hit away from Aguinaga, but she said staying focused and reading the hitters helped her find ways to counter that. She thanked her parents and all the coaches she’s had for the support and training that turned her into a program-changing talent.
Not only did Aguinaga help the Lady Cards win their first district title in 15 years, she also became the first in the program to sign to play college volleyball in a long while. She’ll be playing for Navarro College in the fall.
Aguinaga hopes all that she and her team achieved during their stellar 2021 season sets a precedent for future success with Harlingen High volleyball.
“This year was about trying to set a tradition. I really hope after this year, we started a tradition of being good at volleyball and not just barely making the playoffs,” Aguinaga said. “I know there had not been a signing for volleyball at Harlingen High in about 15 years, so I hope I start a tradition of people from here wanting to continue their career at the next level.”
Setter of the Year
Jalyssa Sauceda
Senior, Rio Hondo
Sauceda battled to earn her spot as the starting setter for Rio Hondo for two years, and when her time came as a senior during the 2021 season, she thrived.
Under new direction, the Lady ’Cats switched to a 5-1 setup, putting all the setting responsibility in Sauceda’s hands. Coach Esther Pena said she asked a lot from Sauceda, and “she always rose to the challenge.” For her efforts in helping Rio Hondo clinch its first District 32-4A championship in history, Sauceda is the All-Star setter of the year.
“I don’t even know how to describe it. I was in shock, but just happy for myself because of all the hard work I put into this award,” Sauceda said. “Since I was a sophomore I was on varsity, and setting was the only position I ever did. I had to work harder to earn my spot and rightfully deserve a starting spot. That all came together my senior year, and I felt I had a pretty good season.”
Sauceda enjoyed making the offensive decisions, and she took it upon herself to keep opposing defenses on their toes. Whether she was distributing the ball to all her pins or sending over a surprise second touch, Sauceda used her volleyball IQ to score points.
“The responsibility made me feel like even more of a leader. It was fun to be like a second coach,” Sauceda said. “I give everybody a chance. If we’re in a rally, I’ll set it to each position in the front row, and even in the back row because I knew we had some strong hitters back there. I always mixed it up. … I’d think about how the other team would think about our offense.”
Sauceda and her teammates achieved a lot this season. A special thing she crossed off her list of goals was beating La Feria twice, which never happened once during her previous seasons, while going undefeated in district.
She thanked her coach and her family for their support, but mostly, Sauceda was grateful for the trust her teammates gave her as they made history together during her final year.
“I’d like to thank my teammates first, because they’re the ones that stayed by my side and trusted me to be their setter,” Sauceda said. “They made me a better setter. I’m not perfect, they’re not perfect either, but we all tried to help each other to be a perfect team.”
Newcomer of the Year
Malloree Mireles
Freshman, Harlingen South
It’s not easy making the jump from middle school volleyball to playing on a varsity squad as a freshman, but Harlingen South’s Mireles thrived in that situation.
The rookie outside/middle hitter bloomed into a valuable asset, helping the Lady Hawks clinch a playoff spot in the competitive District 32-6A. She tallied 342 kills and 152 digs and was the “best attacker” and the “go-to girl” this season, the coaching staff said.
For having such a strong immediate impact in her debut season, Mireles has been tabbed the All-Star newcomer of the year.
“I was very proud of myself, especially with this award,” Mireles said. “I got the unanimous first-team all-district award, and I really wanted the newcomer of the year district award and I was disappointed with myself when I didn’t get it. (When I heard I got this one) I was, like, no way. I was so excited and very, very happy.”
Mireles was humble when reflecting on her success. She consistently credited her teammates, coaches and the connection developed among the team for making her better. But Mireles showed elite volleyball IQ at her young age, finding ways to work around blocks intent to slow her down as opponents caught on to her skill.
She was nervous when the season first started, but with the support and encouragement of her older teammates, Mireles found her confidence stepped up tremendously for her team.
“It was very intimidating at first and, like, ‘Wow, I really get the opportunity to have this spot.’ I’m very grateful for it,” Mireles said. “It meant a lot to me, especially for the seniors to take me in as a freshman and make a connection with me. For the whole team to let me into their group and for us to all play together well really meant a lot.
“The communication between all of us (was crucial),” she continued. “And my setter, Kylie Fonseca, we definitely gained chemistry with each other throughout the season. She gave me those perfect sets.”
Harlingen South is graduating many key pieces, which will leave Mireles in line to be a leader next season. After the way she excelled in 2021, she feels ready to make that leap, especially with all the support in her corner.
“Me being a (returning) varsity player, I definitely have to step in and take the role of being a leader for the new girls coming in and show them how we run as a varsity team,” Mireles said. “I want to thank everyone that’s always been there for me, especially (my dad). I like to call him my ‘soccer dad.’ He’s been a big part of the volleyball season.”
Coach of the Year
Esther Pena, Rio Hondo
The Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats had a historic 2021 season under first-year coach Pena.
They won the program’s first district title, and they did so in undefeated fashion. For taking the program to heights it had never seen before, Pena earned the title of All-Star coach of the year.
“It’s a huge honor to receive this award, but all the credit goes to the girls for their hard work and unity. It’s a great place to start,” Pena said. “We expressed to the girls that we are so proud of them and what they accomplished together. They made history in more ways than one. They have raised the bar for volleyball at Rio Hondo.”
Pena spent six years as an assistant with the program before taking the reins this year. Like most coaches, she had the girls set their sights on a district championship, but mostly she “wanted them to be successful, work together and respect each other.”
The Lady ’Cats were excited to have Pena in charge and they responded “really well” to her style. She stressed versatility and made her athletes better in all phases of the game — and outside of the game — leading to the team coming together in a new way and elevating the program for the future.
“I knew there were a lot more responsibilities with the head coaching position, but I was excited about the challenge,” Pena said. “The fact that I was working with excellent coaches and received a tremendous amount of support made the transition even more rewarding.
“One thing I’ve always preached to the girls (is) I’m not here to only coach their skills in volleyball, but also to make them a well-rounded young lady,” she continued. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls. They were all so coachable and dedicated. They were there for each other, they supported each other. As time went on we became a whole, and we were able to execute and be successful.”